Vpop 2015 Year In Review

As a new year approaches, I thought it would be fun to look back and highlight some of the most memorable Vietnamese pop songs of 2015. And since I didn't start blogging about Vpop until late this year, I am going to include songs from 2014 as well in my totally biased and made-up Vpop awards special. Here we go! Drum roll please...

Weirdest MV

The award for Weirdest MV goes to I Can Do by Vietnamese-French artist MLee. This music video is like some twisted Old Spice commercial. A shirtless, buff unicorn running around? A Western-looking singer singing in Vietnamese? Is she even Asian? Did she just get dumped for a female unicorn in a bikini? What? What is this? Welcome to a new era of Vpop, son. We push those boundaries! We're innovating here! Let me show you what Vpoppers can do!

Guilty Pleasure

The Guilty Pleasure award is an award for the MV that I find oddly amusing even though it may not be the best video or song. And the award goes to...Một Ngày Làm Con Gái (One Day Be A Girl) by Huy Nam and Huy Khánh. This song is just so damn catchy. One day, one day be a girl! One day, one day be a girl!

Best Troll Song

The Best Troll Song award goes to Vợ Người Ta by Phan Mạnh Quỳnh. Vợ Người Ta, which translated means someone else's wife, is a song about a guy being sad over losing a girl that he likes to someone else. The message in the song is similar to Taeyang's Wedding Dress, but the tone of the song is much more similar to that of a PSY song -- egotistic and goofy. It's a song that I would describe as very "Viet." I just don't know if non-Vietnamese people would get it.

Best Song From An Internet Meme

In 2015, Đẹp Trai Thì Mới Có Nhiều Đứa Yêu became a viral sensation in Vietnam thanks to a rehab patient with dreams of becoming a Kpop star, DJ/producer Hoaprox, and millions of young Vietnamese dubsmashers. Đẹp Trai Thì Mới Có Nhiều Đứa Yêu fever is still going strong. Just this month, Vietnamese singer Song Luân released the above MV. It's the official remix of the remix! #ĐTTMCNĐY

Best Rap Song

In Vietnam, rap music still isn't very mainstream. Rap music mainly exists as an underground scene. This doesn't mean that the spirit of rap music isn't strong in the Vietnamese community. DMCS (Địt Mẹ Cộng Sản / Fuck Communism) by Viet rapper Nah embodies the truth telling, rebellious nature of hip-hop culture of days past. Therefore, DMCS is my pick for Best Rap Song of the year. No other rap song has created as much discussion as DMCS has this year.

Best R&B Song

The award for Best R&B Song goes to Mọi Sự Là Vì Em by Hoàng Tôn, Bảo Kun, and Hà Lê. I wasn't really a fan of the MV for Mọi Sự Là Vì Em in the beginning. I thought it was kind of generic and the blatant product placements cheapen the viewing experience for me. On the other hand, I love R&B music. If you grew up in the 90's, how can you NOT love R&B music? I guess all you really need in any R&B video are người đẹp (hot girls) anyways.

Best Acoustic Song

The award for Best Acoustic Song goes to Tìm (Lost) by MIN from ST.319. There have been a lot of good acoustic songs in Vpop in the past two years, but Tìm (2014) takes the cake for me. I liked the original version of Tìm. Then I heard the acoustic version of it. Can you say AMAZING!? The feels, man! The feels! The acoustic version took something that was already good and made it even better. The MV for the acoustic version of Tìm is nice and simple. The Pikachu-style eyeliner is kind of questionable though. Initially, it really bothered me; however, I kind of like it now.

Best MV By A Group

Surprise, surprise. The award for Best MV By A Group goes to 365DaBand for Hai Cô Tiên. Although 365DaBand has always been popular, I didn't become a fan until this year. Hai Cô Tiên was the song that got my attention and made realize that perhaps Vietnamese boy bands are legit.

Best MV By A Solo Artist

Tóc Tiên probably had the biggest hit of the summer with her song Ngày Mai aka Tomorrow aka Vũ Điệu Cồng Chiên. It might even be the most iconic Vpop song of 2015. Although other artists like Sơn Tùng M-TP may be more popular in Vietnam, I feel that Tóc Tiên has been able to draw in more international fans into Vpop than anyone else (other than perhaps 365DaBand) this year.

Song Of The Year

Without further ado, my pick for song of the year goes to Một Nhà by Da LAB. I just love this song! Listening to it brings me happiness. 2015 was a pretty good year for Vpop. I believe 2016 will even be a better year for Vpop. Happy New Year, everyone!

A Vpop fan who likes to use obscure references in his sad attempts at humor. As a long time fan of Kpop, Jpop, and Cpop -- he hopes to see Vpop become just as popular.

USA

Vpop 2015 Year In ReviewAs a new year approaches, I thought it would be fun to look back and highlight some of the most memorable Vietnamese pop songs of 2015. And since I didn't start blogging about Vpop until late this year, I am going to include songs from 2014 as well in my totally biased and made-up Vpop awards special. Here we go! Drum roll please...
---
##Weirdest MV
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A7c2Vj7uXtc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The award for **Weirdest MV** goes to **I Can Do** by Vietnamese-French artist **MLee**. This music video is like some twisted Old Spice commercial. A shirtless, buff unicorn running around? A Western-looking singer singing in Vietnamese? Is she even Asian? Did she just get dumped for a female unicorn in a bikini? What? What is this? Welcome to a new era of Vpop, son. We push those boundaries! We're innovating here! Let me show you what Vpoppers can do!
---
##Guilty Pleasure
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QRAsg2tNU2M" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The **Guilty Pleasure** award is an award for the MV that I find oddly amusing even though it may not be the best video or song. And the award goes to...**Một Ngày Làm Con Gái (One Day Be A Girl)** by **Huy Nam** and **Huy Khánh**. This song is just so damn catchy. *One day, one day be a girl! One day, one day be a girl!*
---
##Best Troll Song
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eyFP5s403jY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The **Best Troll Song** award goes to **Vợ Người Ta** by **Phan Mạnh Quỳnh**. *Vợ Người Ta*, which translated means *someone else's wife*, is a song about a guy being sad over losing a girl that he likes to someone else. The message in the song is similar to **Taeyang's Wedding Dress**, but the tone of the song is much more similar to that of a **PSY** song -- egotistic and goofy. It's a song that I would describe as very "Viet." I just don't know if non-Vietnamese people would get it.
---
##Best Song From An Internet Meme
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5hMorzOgWBQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
In 2015, **Đẹp Trai Thì Mới Có Nhiều Đứa Yêu** became a viral sensation in Vietnam thanks to a rehab patient with dreams of becoming a Kpop star, DJ/producer **Hoaprox**, and millions of young [**Vietnamese dubsmashers**](http://vpopfan.com/2015/10/23/vpop-102-vietnamese-pop-culture-for-beginners " target="_blank). *Đẹp Trai Thì Mới Có Nhiều Đứa Yêu* fever is still going strong. Just this month, Vietnamese singer **Song Luân** released the above MV. It's the official remix of the remix! \#ĐTTMCNĐY
---
##Best Rap Song
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cVL1XzwZI6A" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
In Vietnam, rap music still isn't very mainstream. Rap music mainly exists as an underground scene. This doesn't mean that the spirit of rap music isn't strong in the Vietnamese community. **DMCS (Địt Mẹ Cộng Sản / Fuck Communism)** by Viet rapper **Nah** embodies the truth telling, rebellious nature of hip-hop culture of days past. Therefore, *DMCS* is my pick for **Best Rap Song** of the year. No other rap song has created as much discussion as *DMCS* has this year.
---
##Best R&B Song
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4feTQ3sWL5o" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The award for **Best R&B Song** goes to **Mọi Sự Là Vì Em** by **Hoàng Tôn**, **Bảo Kun**, and **Hà Lê**. I wasn't really a fan of the MV for *Mọi Sự Là Vì Em* in the beginning. I thought it was kind of generic and the blatant product placements cheapen the viewing experience for me. On the other hand, I love R&B music. If you grew up in the 90's, how can you NOT love R&B music? I guess all you really need in any R&B video are người đẹp (hot girls) anyways.
---
##Best Acoustic Song
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aUVAZmYeWpg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The award for **Best Acoustic Song** goes to **Tìm (Lost)** by **MIN** from **ST.319**. There have been a lot of good acoustic songs in Vpop in the past two years, but *Tìm* (2014) takes the cake for me. I liked the original version of *Tìm*. Then I heard the acoustic version of it. Can you say AMAZING!? The feels, man! The feels! The acoustic version took something that was already good and made it even better. The MV for the acoustic version of *Tìm* is nice and simple. The Pikachu-style eyeliner is kind of questionable though. Initially, it really bothered me; however, I kind of like it now.
---
##Best MV By A Group
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3yKlZzMQMj8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Surprise, surprise. The award for **Best MV By A Group** goes to **365DaBand** for **Hai Cô Tiên**. Although 365DaBand has always been popular, I didn't become a fan until this year. *Hai Cô Tiên* was the song that got my attention and made realize that perhaps Vietnamese boy bands are legit.
---
##Best MV By A Solo Artist
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Rz4FbACtfd0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
**Tóc Tiên** probably had the biggest hit of the summer with her song **Ngày Mai** aka **Tomorrow** aka **Vũ Điệu Cồng Chiên**. It might even be the most iconic Vpop song of 2015. Although other artists like **Sơn Tùng M-TP** may be more popular in Vietnam, I feel that Tóc Tiên has been able to draw in more international fans into Vpop than anyone else (other than perhaps **365DaBand**) this year.
---
##Song Of The Year
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g74t_PlDdA0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Without further ado, my pick for song of the year goes to **Một Nhà** by **Da LAB**. I just love this song! Listening to it brings me happiness. 2015 was a pretty good year for Vpop. I believe 2016 will even be a better year for Vpop. Happy New Year, everyone!Please enable JavaScript to view comments